Microsatellite markers – mutations and diversity
(completed)

Project description:

Microsatellites are repetitive nucleotide sequences consisting of 1-6 bp, and they are frequently scattered throughout most genomes. Compared to other types of DNA, the microsatellite DNA mutate rather frequently. Most microsatellite mutations are supposed to involve a gain or loss of a repetitive unit. The high mutagenesis frequency makes natural mutation events detectable when performing sequence analysis of parent-offspring material. The rate of how microsatellites changes at a macro evolutionary perspective, can be determined by sequence analysis of specific microsatellites in related species. Such a detailed characterising of mutation events, both focusing type, frequency and effect, is important to improve the understanding of the microsatellite evolution.